


have the lambs stopped screaming?

by kxtsukiyuri



Category: VIXX
Genre: (times 4 lol oops), Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Asphyxiation, Attempted Murder, Blood and Gore, Descriptions of sex, Extremely Dubious Consent, First Love, First Time, Happy Ending, Love at First Sight, M/M, Minor Character Death, Murder, Partners in Crime, cue mood change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-21 16:09:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20696324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kxtsukiyuri/pseuds/kxtsukiyuri
Summary: It wasn’t that Hongbin necessarily needed to do it. It was a want to be fulfilled, an itch to be scratched. It was a desire stronger than anything he’d ever felt. The rush of the chase, the high of the capture, the sensation of his sharp little toys breaking skin and spilling hot, rich blood across his palms, and as he got older and more ambitious, the climax of a victim’s dying gurgles. He relished the feeling, outright basked in it.





	have the lambs stopped screaming?

**Author's Note:**

> **IMPORTANT**  
okay so! this is probably the most gratuitous fic i've written yet. not gonna lie, it's gross, y'all. that's all i'm gonna say up here. i've tagged everything to the best of my ability, but if any of you find something i missed, let me know and i'll add it. if you need more clarity on the tagged scenes, i'm adding a general overview to the end notes that you can read beforehand. stay safe, everyone, and i hope you enjoy reading this as much as i liked writing it.
> 
> a huge thank you to [witchpointe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchpointe/pseuds/witchpointe) for his support and assistance throughout writing. love u babes <3 ^*^ <3

It wasn’t that Hongbin necessarily needed to do it. It was a want to be fulfilled, an itch to be scratched. It was a desire stronger than anything he’d ever felt. From the time he’d found a glass shard in the school playground when he was five and sliced a classmate’s arm with it, he’d been fascinated and enamored with it. The rush of the chase, the high of the capture, the sensation of his sharp little toys breaking skin and spilling hot, rich blood across his palms, and as he got older and more ambitious, the climax of a victim’s dying gurgles. He relished the feeling, outright basked in it. 

It was a craving that would always make itself known in the back of his mind. One he was more than happy to satisfy. It was strikingly easy to find new marks whenever he was bored. Living in a big city has its perks, one of which is the abundance of people, especially people that are easy to hide. People that are eager for connection, for companionship, for anything Hongbin can provide. And he can provide a lot. 

It started with Sanghyuk — sweet, angelic Sanghyuk. He was a psychology major at Seoul National University, and played soccer. He was gentle, exuberant and playful, like a little puppy, and so, so lonely. Hongbin had played the long game with him, since he was so genuine in his feelings. They went on dates, they watched movies, they kissed and cuddled, and eventually Hongbin had Sanghyuk bent over the arm of his dorm room couch, begging for him with that beautiful voice and moaning his name when he climaxed, painting the side of the couch with his release. The next night, he told Hongbin he loved him. That weekend, his body was at the bottom of a river. 

His whimpers had been a cute appetizer as Hongbin dragged tool after tool across his body, watching blood bead on his skin in their wake. He delighted in slicing the skin off completely, letting his eyes close in ecstasy at the screams he got when he prodded at Sanghyuk’s exposed flesh. Between cries and assorted curses, as Hongbin picked new toys to use, Sanghyuk would look at him with betrayal and confusion in his teary eyes, until finally Hongbin scooped them right out of his head, tired of Sanghyuk trying to guilt him. Sanghyuk went quickly after that, but Hongbin still sliced into his throat to watch the blood bubble up in his mouth. 

•••

Next had been Jaehwan. He worked as an usher at the nearby movie theater, liked going by the name Ken, and had dreams of being a musical actor. Hongbin ran into him after a midnight showing of some horror movies for Halloween, and they’d struck up conversation while Hongbin helped clean after everyone had left. Jaehwan had been the only usher for that auditorium that night, and seemed to enjoy the company. He not-so-subtly slipped Hongbin a piece of a popcorn bag with his name and number scribbled on it, and said to call if he ever wanted to hang out. Hongbin took him up on that not a week later, taking him out for ice cream and a walk in the park. Jaehwan was very touchy, very clingy, and _ very _ loud. It was endearing, in a way. He seemed to like the attention, so Hongbin was more than happy to give it to him. 

When it came time, he was also very eager to put out, so _ excited _ to offer himself up for Hongbin to play with. Whether it was Hongbin making Jaehwan ride him, despite his pillow prince protests, or strapping him down to drag metal claws through the meat of his thighs. In the latter instance, though, Hongbin knew he was only so eager in the hopes that it would prompt Hongbin to be gentler with him. So sensitive, that one. In the end, he supposed he did show Jaehwan a bit of mercy. He had the good grace to make sure he was dead before curiously seeing whether or not he could make him look like a Ken doll as a little inside joke. 

“Funny, huh?” He asked when he was done. Jaehwan’s unblinking eyes were all the answer Hongbin needed. 

•••

Then came a package deal — Wonsik and Taekwoon. They were borderline attached at the hip when Hongbin found them one night in a packed club. They were beautiful together; Wonsik was all angles and abs, hard lines and a deep, husky voice, while Taekwoon fell on the softer side, lean and willowy with a face and demeanor to match. But while they were so at odds physically, they were a perfect twin pair when Hongbin got to know them. Wonsik followed Taekwoon around the club like a little dog, blushing and laughing at the dirty jokes Hongbin made, prompting Taekwoon to flush as well and nudge Wonsik so he’d quiet down. Wonsik had been more than happy at the suggestion that Hongbin take the two of them home, but Taekwoon was a little hesitant. He murmured something to Wonsik, sending Hongbin furtive glances all the while, but Wonsik seemed upset at what Taekwoon said. In response, he walked up to Hongbin and attached himself to one of his arms. Taekwoon bit his lip, but gave in, seeing no way to decline. Wonsik smiled and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. How cute. 

Hongbin engaged in a bit more foreplay with them than usual, mostly to get Taekwoon to loosen up. 

“What, you think I’m some kind of serial killer?” He asked while pulling off Taekwoon’s shirt from behind him, looking at him through the mirror in his bedroom. Taekwoon didn’t respond, just looking at a spot on the floor. Hongbin smiled, pressing a kiss to his neck. Cute. Wonsik needed no such prodding, and in fact, did whatever Hongbin asked the whole night, which did end up flustering Taekwoon quite a bit. 

“I guess you never see him this… docile, hm?” He asked while fucking into Wonsik hard and fast, forcing low moans from him. Taekwoon shook his head, blush high on his cheeks and a hand between his legs. 

“No… n-no. Never.” Hongbin grinned, letting his eyes flutter shut at the groan Wonsik let out when his hips snapped forward suddenly. 

“No surprise to me. I think you’re too soft. Deserve — deserve to be in just the same place as him.” Taekwoon gasped, the sound weak and whimpery, and his hand moved faster on his own cock, thumb brushing the sensitive spot under the crown and making him give a choked off whine. Hongbin reached over to pull Taekwoon closer by his chin, bringing their faces close together. Taekwoon’s breath hitched in his chest, hand stilling. Hongbin just took some time to look him over before pushing him back, pulling out of Wonsik. 

“Let’s play a game.”

That led to Wonsik and Taekwoon with their hands cuffed behind their backs, tied chest to chest, and both gagged — Wonsik with a ballgag and Taekwoon with just a simple strip of tape over his mouth. Wonsik was absolutely hard as a rock, leaking all over himself, Taekwoon, and the sheets beneath them. Taekwoon had softened just a little, but every once in a while he’d roll his hips against Wonsik’s and moan softly, dick twitching at the stimulation. Hongbin smiled at the sight of them together, wriggling around every now and then. 

“So the game is…” he ran his hands along their intertwined legs, going quiet for a moment. “Well, it’s more of a game for me. I wanna see how long I can push you both until you break.” Taekwoon’s brows furrowed, and he was about to try and tap out and ask for the gag to be taken off, but it was right then Wonsik decided to moan and let his eyes fall shut, nuzzling into Hongbin’s hand when he ran it through his hair. Fucking masochist. Taekwoon swallowed thickly and let his head fall to the mattress, resigned to a long night. 

Hongbin did so enjoy playing with them, even Taekwoon. It was cute how scared he looked whenever he saw Hongbin pull out a new toy, and then watching the conflicting emotions pass over his features when Wonsik saw it and moaned. It was _ so _ cute how Wonsik seemed to still think it was all just an elaborate scene. Hongbin spent more time with them than he had with anyone else to that point, taking his time and letting his tools plot the course for him. 

After a while he stopped, panting from excitement. The two men before him were almost nonstop writhing and making noise, moaning and whimpering, and in Taekwoon’s case, edging into crying. Hongbin leaned in to wipe away a few tears that had fallen down his cheeks, reaching between their bodies to stroke the two of them for a moment. Wonsik cried out and bucked into his hand, head thrown back, while Taekwoon tried to shrink away, terrified. He was catching onto Hongbin’s game, and it made the thrill even more delicious. Hongbin grinned and pulled away, wiping his hands on the bed sheets. 

“All right, boys, new game. Whoever comes first gets to walk out of this room alive. Get to it.” 

And… there it was. It finally seemed to click in Wonsik’s head what was happening, and he went still and quiet. Taekwoon, in contrast, all but burst into tears, unable to really cry as loud as he wanted since his mouth was taped. He squirmed and thrashed in the ropes and cuffs, his chest heaving. Wonsik was just tugged around by his movements for a moment before he joined in, but Hongbin knew his way around rope, and their struggles, if anything, only pulled the knots tighter. He let them go for a little while longer before yanking them both up so they were kneeling facing each other, then knelt behind Taekwoon and pulled his head back with a hand on his throat, tugging his hair for good measure. Taekwoon shuddered as he tried to suck in enough air to at least keep breathing. Hongbin kept his voice soft, just a low rumble next to Taekwoon’s ear. 

“No more of that. Both of you. Or I’m going to have to choose for you who walks out. Do you understand me?” Taekwoon made a barely decipherable noise of assent, and Wonsik nodded slowly, biting down hard on the gag in his mouth. Hongbin smiled, tightening his hand around Taekwoon’s throat briefly before letting him go, then moving the two of them around so they were pressed together again, taking a moment to take their gags off. 

“Come on now, give me a show.” Taekwoon rested his head on Wonsik’s shoulder, panting as he tried to gather himself before starting to roll his hips forward, letting out a shaky groan when Wonsik moved with him. 

“I’m sorry — I’m s-sorry, I’m sorry, I love you, love you Sikkie —“ Taekwoon couldn’t seem to stop talking through his renewed tears as he rubbed against Wonsik’s thigh with a shaky rhythm. Wonsik murmured soft reassurances to him, already moving his thigh to meet Taekwoon’s hips. He, in turn, didn’t do much moving of his own, but stayed vocal in the hopes that it would spur Taekwoon on to get off first. Spur him on it did, as it only took a few more minutes for Taekwoon to spill his release over Wonsik’s thigh, sobbing apologies into his neck. Wonsik shushed him and kissed the side of his head, looking up when he heard Hongbin moving. Hongbin clapped slowly as he walked over to the bed, cooing at how emotional Taekwoon was. 

“Look at you two, so expressive. It’s almost adorable.” He let Wonsik whisper to Taekwoon for a bit longer, trying to calm him down some, before walking over and unceremoniously cutting the ropes binding them together. He wouldn’t need them after this anyway. He pulled them apart, and Taekwoon’s whole body sagged as he sat back on his heels, utterly spent. 

“Hope you‘ve said your goodbyes,” Hongbin said nonchalantly as he pulled a dagger off his belt, twirling the handle between his fingers before grabbing Wonsik’s hair and tracing the point of the knife along his jaw. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you look nice in red, Wonsikkie?” With that, his blade sliced across Wonsik’s throat, blood spray hitting Taekwoon and staining his face and his pretty blond hair. Hongbin watched the blood run down Wonsik’s neck and chest, closed his eyes and sighed in contentment at the sound of Wonsik’s last rattling breaths, hips shifting slightly. He opened his eyes once Wonsik’s body stopped jerking in his grip, once the breathing had stopped, and he shoved Wonsik to the side. 

Hongbin smiled, turning to look at Taekwoon. Tears were falling down his cheeks slowly as he stared at Wonsik’s face, frozen in an expression of pain and fear. After a moment, his eyes flicked to Hongbin, gaze icy and hard. He looked Hongbin over once, twice, sniffed and took a breath. 

“You’re not letting me go, are you?” He asked softly, holding eye contact. “You’re going to kill me. Or rape me. Or both. Either way, I’m not getting out of here, am I?” His tone of voice, weak and broken, didn’t match the look in his eyes, like he was trying to put on one last brave front before the events of his rhetorical questions inevitably came true. 

“So insightful, Taekwoon. I assume you want to get this over with.” Taekwoon nods, and Hongbin smiles, leaning in and cupping Taekwoon’s cheek in his hand. Taekwoon looks like he loathes Hongbin’s touch, but knows better than to fight back. 

“That’s right, good boy.”

———

By the time Hongbin is done with Taekwoon, he’s exhausted. Taekwoon had started pliant enough, letting Hongbin fuck into him with only the tears tracking down his cheeks to show for it, but once Hongbin had pulled a plastic bag out of his back pocket, intending to end this affair, he’d started to fight, to writhe on the bed and try to get Hongbin off him. He wasn’t crying anymore, but he still gave occasional screams of pain, terror and desperation. All to no avail, since his struggles only earned him a few slaps to the cheek and a hand on his throat until he complied. 

“Don’t breathe so hard,” Hongbin said softly, leaning in to speak in his ear. He kept his hands firm on Taekwoon’s neck, not choking, just keeping the bag against his face. He laughed when he was met with desperate, terrified noises. “Or do. But if you breathe slower, it’ll be more fun for me. I’ll get to see you struggle for longer.” This did absolutely nothing to quell Taekwoon’s panic as he was deprived of oxygen, his body jerking and shaking underneath Hongbin as he tried to scream through the plastic. Hongbin closed his eyes again and let Taekwoon shudder, relishing the feelings of muscles flexing under his hands and of Taekwoon’s legs kicking and flailing behind him, his attempts at escape ultimately futile. 

Slowly, the struggling petered off and Taekwoon’s body went still, chest no longer hitching as his lungs fought for air, hips no longer bucking in desperation. Hongbin took the bag off and soothed his hands over Taekwoon’s still warm cheeks, swallowing thickly. Now, looking down at his face, into his teary eyes, Hongbin feels something… strange twist in his chest. He squashes it down in favor of starting to clean the room, running his hands appreciatively over the two men’s bodies as he gets them ready to dispose of. These two were certainly fun, he will admit. Maybe he’ll keep around his next toy longer. 

•••

After Wonsik and Taekwoon, he stopped hunting for a while, so to speak. He had a job where he could work from home, so he elected to stay in, oftentimes getting his groceries delivered to avoid having to leave. He spent a lot of his free time thinking about the victims he’d had in the past, wishing he’d taken pictures of them or taken something of theirs to remember them by. It’s not like they blurred together, as varied as they were, but he had nothing but his memory to rely on every time he thought of them, and he didn’t want to add too much fantasy to his memories. 

He lived this way for a few months. Working, collecting checks, living off groceries delivered twice a month, and taking every free moment to make sure his doors were locked before fucking himself in his living room to the thoughts of his victims’ dying screams.

The day Hongbin finally ventured out of the house, only because his kitchen table was getting a bit wobbly and didn’t want to order a wrench online, his next mark practically fell into his lap. Or, more accurately, it was the other way around. He hadn’t been paying attention as he stepped up on the curb after crossing the street and tripped on some uneven concrete, preparing in that split second to fall as safely as he could and being confused when the ground seemed to be warm and somewhat soft. 

“Whoa, hey, are you okay?” Hongbin looks up to find the source of the voice, and feels all his air leave him in a rush. The man holding him is, for lack of a better adjective, breathtaking. Tall, tan and slender, but clearly strong as he pulls Hongbin to his feet while he’s practically dead weight from the shock of such pure beauty given a face. 

“Um. Yes. Thank you.” His voice is hoarse from such little use over the past few months, and strangely enough, he wants to kick himself for it. What a first impression to make on someone, especially someone so —

Wait, _ first _impression?

———

It’s surprising, how his relationship with the man develops. He’d learned after that chance encounter that his name was Hakyeon, he was a barista at a new coffee shop near Hongbin’s apartment, and he’d love to get to know Hongbin better. Get to know him he does, as Hongbin’s monthly expenses soon skyrocket in the area of coffee and pastries, in an effort to see Hakyeon as often as possible. He learns Hakyeon’s shift by heart — mornings on weekdays, afternoons on weekends — and actually finds himself excited at the prospect of leaving the house again. 

He and Hakyeon chat during Hakyeon’s breaks, when he comes to sit with Hongbin or pull him in the back to make him test new drinks. As the days stretch into weeks and the weeks into months, Hongbin finds himself inexplicably drawn in by Hakyeon — his warmth and genuineness in everything he does, down to every word and expression. It isn’t until he’s lying in Hakyeon’s bed one night, stuttering out that he’s only ever topped and being met with a soft, gentle laugh and a caress of his cheek that he realizes he’s in love. Luckily enough for Hongbin, he gets to choose the size of Hakyeon’s dick for his first time, and Hakyeon manages to tamp down an amused giggle at how small Hongbin went. 

It isn’t an earth-shattering moment by any means, but when all is said and done, with Hakyeon tossing aside his harness before bucking into Hongbin’s hand and moaning so sweetly through his release, Hongbin feels warmth unfurl in his chest and lets out a soft gasp, stars in his eyes as he stares up at Hakyeon. He stares, awestruck at the image of Hakyeon panting and smiling at him, eyes half-lidded, before pressing in for a gentle, gentle kiss. 

Hongbin spirals. 

This is usually when he’d be done with his mark — when he’d look up good dumping sites, plan up to his eventual overtaking of the victim, how best to lure them in one last time. But with Hakyeon, he can’t push himself to do it. Whenever he thinks about it, idly over coffee or dinner, he catches a glimpse of Hakyeon in the corner of his eye; watching a drama with a box of cookies in hand, laughing at something dumb a friend texted him, and more than once, just looking at Hongbin with such earnest fondness that it makes him feel filthy with guilt for a week. He decides after a while that he can’t lose Hakyeon. He doesn’t want to lose the rush he gets when Hakyeon pulls him into the kitchen during lunchtime to give him kisses against the cabinets, the gentle caresses when he wakes up from a nightmare, the smiles he receives in reward for just _ being. _

No matter what, he’s going to stay with Hakyeon forever. 

———

Hongbin’s main problem is that he’s still cagey and abysmal at communication. Convinced that any inkling of who he was before Hakyeon would push this angel out of his life, Hongbin doesn’t open up about himself. The weeks turn into months, the months drag on into a little over a year, and everything finally comes to a head after a small dispute over Hakyeon talking about a high school reunion. 

“You know, I’ve never heard you talk about what your high school was like,” Hakyeon says conversationally. Hongbin shies away from the easy opener, ducking into the kitchen. 

“It was just a highschool, you know,” he shrugs. “Same thing as any other highschool.” Hakyeon stays silent, but Hongbin can feel his gaze boring through the wall. 

“Hongbin?” He finally asks. “Why don’t you ever tell me anything about you?” Hongbin doesn’t respond, sudden fear gripping his chest. 

“I — I dunno. It’s stupid. Nothing you have to know about.” 

“Come on, Bin, I’m sure it’s not that bad.” He sounds exasperated, old, deep frustration bubbling to the surface, and Hongbin looks up just as Hakyeon steps over the threshold into the kitchen. 

“No. You’d hate me. If you knew, you’d hate me.” Hongbin walks around to the other side of the counter, away from Hakyeon. Hakyeon seems a little startled by the sudden admission, but shakes his head, trying to follow as Hongbin keeps walking. 

“Bin, you don’t know that. _ I _ don’t know that. I just — I’m so _ frustrated _, Hongbin! You know so much about me, there’s so much I’ve trusted you with, and yet when I ask for even a sliver of that trust in return, you shut me out.” Hongbin, terrified and angry, laughs, stopping in the kitchen doorway. 

“My _ trust? _ Is that what you want? ‘Cause it sure doesn’t sound like that. If you trusted me, you’d leave me be.” Hakyeon scoffs, crossing his arms. 

“So, is that it now? Is that what boyfriends do? Is that all our relationship is worth? Me telling you everything about me and you barely giving me an inkling as to who you are? Hongbin, it’s been _ months _ and I still don’t even know what you do for a living.” Hongbin stays silent, gripping the door frame tightly. A dangerous shadow has come over his face, but Hakyeon presses on. 

“I don’t know anything about you. Nothing, Hongbin. And that’s something you’re okay with? Something you want to continue? Because if it is, then we should end it now, because I won’t stand for it.”

“You’re exaggerating.” The flippantness of this response sparks something in Hakyeon. 

“Am I? Am I fucking exaggerating, Hongbin? Because I don’t think I am.”

A flake of paint from the door frame falls to the floor as Hongbin removes his hand, slowly and deliberately. Hakyeon swallows, curling his arms a little tighter around himself. 

“What are you doing?” He asks, voice quieter than he wants it to be. Hongbin doesn’t answer, instead starting to walk towards Hakyeon in silence. Hakyeon steps back, Hongbin presses on, and their paces increase until Hakyeon’s tripping over his own feet out of the kitchen and falling onto the living room floor. He makes a noise of pain that turns into a cry of fear when Hongbin takes the opportunity to straddle his hips, grabbing his wrists and pinning them on either side of his head. 

“You want to know me, Hakyeon? You want to know who I am? What I do, what I like?” Hongbin’s voice is deathly quiet, hair hanging in his face, eyes wide and wild. Hakyeon turns his head and closes his eyes, trying to will away this image now seared into his mind. His eyes fly open and he gasps at the shock of his cheek being slapped, hard enough that his head knocks into the floor.

“You fucking look at me while I’m talking to you or I’ll make you,” He growls in Hakyeon’s ear, and his burst of rage pushes him to squeeze Hakyeon’s wrists tightly, making Hakyeon wince and let out a pained whimper, but turn back to face Hongbin. 

“I’ve killed people, Hakyeon. Many people. Cut them open and poked at their insides and then thrown them out like last week’s rotten leftovers. And they cried, and screamed, begged for mercy like pitiful, weak little worms. And do you know what happened every time one of them would ask me to stop?” Hakyeon shakes his head, wishing like anything that he could look away as Hongbin leans in closer, sharp grin like an ugly gash in his once angelic features. 

“It just made me get harder.” Hakyeon involuntarily makes a small noise that sounds like he’s afraid, but his eyes are half lidded and his hips are shifting side to side beneath Hongbin. Hongbin laughs, pulling back a little. 

“Pathetic. Is my Yeonnie turned on from hearing about my secrets?” Hakyeon holds back his urge to instinctively retch in response, gritting his teeth and again looking away in defiance. Hongbin slaps him again, and again when he doesn’t flinch. When that doesn’t work, he grasps a handful of Hakyeon’s hair and slams his head into the hardwood. The only reaction is Hakyeon closing his eyes and sucking in a sharp breath. He gets tense when Hongbin doesn’t try anything again, but his eyes fly open when Hongbin’s free hand closes tightly around his throat. He gasps and starts trying to get Hongbin off him, grabbing at his wrist and kicking his feet. Hongbin’s expression hasn’t changed; eyes staring without fully seeing Hakyeon, wide grin painted from cheek to cheek, harsh panting breaths being the only soundtrack to this display. In that moment, Hakyeon is more terrified than he’s been of anything in his entire life, which might not be saying much in a moment. 

“Hong…bin…” He chokes out in little bursts, every time he manages to get in a breath. There’s not a single crack in Hongbin’s face, nothing that shows he heard. 

“Please — Bin, please —“ He tugs at Hongbin’s wrist again, his body beginning to tire of fighting so hard. He reaches up weakly, fingertips gracing Hongbin’s cheek. Hongbin’s lip twitches, and Hakyeon latches on to it, trying again to get through. 

“Any — anythin’, Bin. A-anythin’ — for you —“ A pause. The pressure on Hakyeon’s throat lets up ever so slightly. 

“Please-! Binnie, please - pl-ease, love you —“ Hongbin stops, breaths quieting, body stilling. In a second, the tension leaves his body and he lets go of Hakyeon entirely, his arms going limp. Hakyeon’s back arches with the force of his intake of air, and he lies there panting, eyes fallen shut. Hongbin flashes through all of his past victims, through everything he’d done, everything they’d ultimately let him do. Every time they’d given up. 

Hakyeon didn’t. It was such a short moment — just a few thickly moving seconds — but he hadn’t given up. He’d connected with Hongbin. He’d broken through. And it’s then Hongbin realizes, it’s because Hakyeon found him instead of the other way around. Hakyeon was strong, had picked up Hongbin’s broken pieces and glued them back together best as he could, and to kill his recreator would be to betray that strength and brush off the work he’d done at his own expense. Hongbin looks down at Hakyeon lying on the ground, chest heaving, and the sight brings him back into his body. He cradles Hakyeon’s face in his hands, and Hakyeon blinks up at him, a hand coming up to hold onto one of his wrists. Hongbin leans in and presses kisses along Hakyeon’s cheeks, murmuring gentle apologies as his voice quivers and shakes under the weight of his guilt. Hakyeon blinks up at him lethargically, reaching up to cup his cheek and shush him gently. 

“Stop, stop, Binnie, calm down. Just breathe. It’s okay, we’re okay.” Hongbin nods frantically, trying to calm himself down, hands still trembling. 

“I’m — please, Yeonnie, please, I’m s-sorry —“ He’s still stammering out apologies, and Hakyeon lets him go, pulling him down against his chest and stroking a hand through his hair soothingly. Despite his terror from before, he understands. He understands more about Hongbin in this moment than he’s ever understood before. Beneath the bluster and secrecy, he’s scared. Just a scared little boy, used to coming out on top and completely thrown off once his vulnerabilities were exposed. Someone to care for. Someone to guide. 

Hakyeon thinks he could be up for the job. 

———

“That one? You’re sure?” Hakyeon adjusts the collar of his turtleneck, nodding slightly. 

“We’ve been watching him for a while. You’ve seen as well as I what he’s like. Unless you want someone different?” He asks of Hongbin, who shakes his head. They’ve been at this bar too long; people will start to notice them if they don’t finish up soon. 

“No, he’ll do. Think you can get him tonight?” Hakyeon grins, pulling Hongbin close by the back of his neck and taking a moment to kiss him. 

“You know I love when I get to be the bait.” Hongbin laughs, kissing him back. 

“Then go get him, tiger. I’ll wait in the car.” Satisfied with this plan, Hakyeon gives him a last little peck before they part, Hakyeon walking up to their mark. This should be fun. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> if you made it here, congratulations! again, i hope you stayed safe through reading and remember to take some time to decompress if you need to. comments, questions, and feedback are appreciated and encouraged ^^ just below this is the overview of subjects used in this fic. 
> 
> \------
> 
> scene 1: sanghyuk  
\- general blood and gore  
\- eye trauma
> 
> scene 2: jaehwan  
\- general gore  
\- implied reference to genital mutilation (less than a sentence)
> 
> scene 3: wonsik and taekwoon  
\- general blood and gore  
\- coercion  
*- section 2 -*  
\- mention of rape (less than a sentence)  
\- asphyxiation with plastic bag
> 
> scene 4: hakyeon  
*- all violence happens in section 3 -*  
\- hand-to-throat choking


End file.
